Since each participant has the option to stay after their first spin, determining the probabilities of victory are complex. A friend of mine, a data scientist, recently proposed to me a simple question while on a run: on what value should the first contestant stay, opposed to spinning again? The winner is the contestant who spins closest to 1.00 – without going over – in one spin, or a combination of two spins.

To determine who advances to the final round, three contestants spin ‘ The Big Wheel,’ which contains 20 possible spots starting with 0.05 in 0.05 increments up to 1.00. One of my favorite game shows to watch when I was younger was The Price is Right.